Safety device for elevators.



.M. G. HUTOHINGS. SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE a, 1913.

1,080,450,, Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

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M. O. HUTOHINGS. SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION IILIJD JUNE 8, 1913 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

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MARVIN CARLETON HUTCHINGS, 0F BOZE AN, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD 'IO GEORGE W. BAKER, OF BOZEIVIAN, MONTANA.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARVIN C. Huroniwos, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bozeman, in the county of Gallatin and State of Montana, have invented a new and Improved Safety Device for lGlevators, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to safety devices for elevators, mine hoists and the like, and has reference more particularly to a device of this class which comprises in combination with the guides for the elevator car a member maintained in a normal position by the elevator cable, grips adapted to engage the guides, operative connections between said member and said grips whereby the latter are in normally inoperative position when said member is in its normal position, and means for controlling and directing said grips.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient safety device for use with elevators, mine hoists and the like, which comprises comparatively few parts, which becomes operative instantly if the cable of the elevator becomes broken or relaxed, and which then serves to bring the elevator car to a stop before it can travel any material distance, which will in no manner whatsoever interfere with the normal operation of the elevator, which is so constructed that it cannot be inadvertently rendered operative when not needed, and which can be instantly automatically rcleased after the grips have become operative.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of an elevator having an embodiment of my invention associated therewith, certain parts being shown in cross section; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the safety device itself, showing parts in operative position; Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a similar View on the line 4ll of Fig. 2.

Before proceeding to a more detailed ex- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 3, 1913.

.atented1)ec. 2,1 91 3.

Serial No. 771,383.

planation of my invention, it should be clearly understood that the safety device can be advantageously employed with different types of elevators, mine hoists, dumb waiters or similar structures, in which the elevator car or carriage is raised and lowered by means of a cable operated by any suitable traction mechanism.

\Vhile I have shown for example an embodiment of the invention where the gripping jaws or clutches engage the guides or rails which direct the travel of the car up and down the elevator shaft, these jaws may be arranged to engage any other suitable part of the shaft construction to bring the car to a stop in case the cable breaks.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown for example part of the shaft construction of an elevator comprising a frame work 10 having at opposite sides car guides or rails 11 of any suitable form, and preferably of wood. At the top of the shaft, a transverse member 12 carries a bracket 13 provided with a pulley 14; over which the elevator cable 15 passes. The car 16 has suitable uprights at the sides 17 joined at the upper extremity by a cross beam 18, the ends 19 of which are formed to engage guidingly the rails 11, directing the upward and downward travel of the elevator car. The beam 18 has a substantially vertical opening 20, in which is slidably mounted a member 21 having at the upper and lower ends cross pieces 22 and 23 bolted or other- \VlSe secured thereto, which serve as stops to limit the upward and downward movement of the member. The end of the cable 15 is attached to the upper extremity of the member 21 by means of a connection 15 adapted for the purpose.

The beam 18 at each side of the member 21 has two downwardly extending supports 24-, the lower ends of which are bifurcated, and have pivotally mounted between the sides thereof, levers 25, by means of pins or rivets 26. These pass through slots 27 of thelevers, thus permitting a certain limited freedom of movement. The inner adjacent ends of the levers are likewise provided with the slots 28 and are received between the lower bifurcated portion 29 of the member 21. The latter is provided with a cross pin 80 which passes through the slots 28 and operatively connects the member 21 and the lovers.

I rovide a pair of grips 31 at each side of the elevator car, one of the grips being. located at each side of a guide ra1l 11 and.

normally contacting with a wedgeshaped' guide block 38 carried by the beam 18 and having inclined faces 39, against which the fingers rest. A U-shaped yoke 40 is bolted or otherwise firmly secured to the beam at each side thereof, at each end, and receives between the sides thereof, one of the fingers 37 of the grips. Each of the latter, and at the lower extremity has a threaded opening 41 in which is mounted a correspondingly threaded, pointed bolt 42 constituting a spur to cooperate with the serrations 33 of the jaws. The car frame at each side thereof has secured adjacent to the pairs of grips a member 43 having upwardly extending parts 44 of wedge shape, which extend between the aws. The latter have near the lower ends laterally extending projections 45 normally engaging the inclined sides of the parts 44, which constitute spacers for a purpose that will appear hereinafter.

The operation of the device is as follows: Under normal operating conditions, the weight of the elevator car is borne by the member 21 which depends from the end of the cable, so that the member is held in its normal elevated position with the stop 23 contacting with the under side of the beam 18. Under these circumstances, the parts are in position, shown in Fig. 1, the levers 25 being substantially horizontal and holding the lugs 34 in such position that the grip members are pressed downwardly with the studs 45 in engagement with the spacers which hold the jaw members out of engagement with the rails 11. Should the cable now break, the member 21 will gravitationally assume a depressed position. I prefer to assist this gravitational movement of the member by means of leaf springs 46, one at each side of the member, having the ends fastened by means of suitable connections 47 to the supports 24 and attached intermediate the ends by means of suitable devices 48 to the part 23 associated with the member 21. The leaf springs tend to straighten or flatten as shown in Fig. 2, and thus make sure the downward movement of the member 21 in case the cable is ruptured. Then this has occurred, the levers will be pivoted into the positions shown'in Fig. 2, by the member 21. This movement of the levers raises the grip members, the fingers 37 sliding along the inclined faces of the guide justable, and their operation can thus be 7 exactly regulated.

It will be noted that the operative connection between the movable member and the grips allows considerable play owing to the slot and pin joints. As a result, the grip devices will not become accidentally operative owing to slight incidental movements of the parts when the elevator is in operation.

One feature ofimportance in my invention is that the grips can be instantly released after they have become operative, by even a slight pull upon the cable. It will be noted that this movement raises the inner ends of the levers 25 and depresses their outer extremities, whereby the grips ar moved downward, the projections 45 riding on the inclined edges of the member 44, whereby the grips are separated and forced from contact with the rails.

Having thus described my invention, claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination with an elevator car and guide rails for the same, of a movable member connected with the elevator cable, a pair of gripping jaws for each of said guide rails, levers connecting said member and said gripping jaws, spacers normally holding said jaws inoperative, guides for rendering said aws operative when said levers are moved in a predetermined direction, said gripping jaws having fingers engaging said guides, and U-shaped members receiving said fingers between the sides thereof to direct the movement of said gripping jaws.

2. The combination with an elevator car and guide rails for the same, of a movable member connected with the elevator cable, means for limiting the movement of said member, a pair of gripping jaws for each of said guide rails, levers operatively connected with said member and said gripping jaws and having a limited freedom of movement with respect thereto, spacers normally holding said jaws inoperative, guides for rendering said jaws operative when said levers are moved in a predetermined direction, and U-shaped members receiving between the sides thereof parts of said jaws to direct their movements.

3. A device of theclass described comprising a movable member adapted to be con nected to the cable of an elevator, means Ice for limiting the movement of said member, a grip having a serrated jaw adapted to engage a part of an elevator shaft and having a tapered finger, a guide having an inclined surface contacting with said finger, means for holding said jaw normally inoperative and for the purpose being provided with an inclined surface contacting with said jaw, a U-shaped member embracing said guide, receiving between the sides thereof said linger of said grip, and a lever opera-tively connecting said first-mentioned member and said grip.

4. I11 a device of the class described, gripping aws having serrations adapted to engage an elevator guide-rail and provided with an adjustable point normally contacting with the rail; and a wedge-shaped block adapted to engage the jaws and cause the engagement of the serrations with the guide, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a device of the class described, jaws each having a fixed projection and adjustable spurs; a wedge-shaped plate normally engaging the fixed projection; and a wedgeshaped block adapted to engage the jaws, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

(3. In a device of the class described, gripping jaws having serrations adapted to engage an elevator guide rail; a lateral prej ection on each of said jaws; a wedge-shaped plate normally engaging the said projection; an adjustable spur in each of said aws normally keeping the serrations of the jaws at a predetermined distance from the guide; and a wedge-shaped block adapted to engage the jaws and cause the engagement of the serrations with the guide, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARVIN CARLETON HU'ICIIINGS.

\Vitnesses CLARK WRIGHT, E. B. TIPTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

